


The Dragonlord's son

by ArcticPuzzle



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Episode: s02e13 The Last Dragonlord, Gen, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Sort Of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:49:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24580345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcticPuzzle/pseuds/ArcticPuzzle
Summary: After Balinor's death, Merlin and Arthur stay in an inn for a night before going back to Camelot. Merlin tries to cheer Arthur up (after all, Arthur believes their last hope is dead) and ends up telling a bit too much about himself.
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 291





	The Dragonlord's son

Arthur had lost hope. Balinor, the only man who could have saved Camelot was dead, killed by Cenred’s men. No dragonlord would come to rescue his kingdom from the rage of the Great Dragon. The only thing left to do was to try to fight the dragon, and probably die. Maybe he could arrange for the citizen to be evacuated while he fights the dragon. Maybe then some people would be safe.

They were staying in an inn for the night. Surprisingly, Merlin was silent, even more than he had been when they were looking for the dragonlord. Perhaps he was as despaired as Arthur was. Or perhaps he knew that Arthur would try to fight the dragon on his own, and he was trying to come to terms with it. The young man had always been loyal to him. A true friend, even if Arthur would face cockatrices, serkets and wyverns with only a wooden stick in his hand rather than admit it out loud. On days like this, Merlin had often shown himself wise, but Arthur would never admit that either. And yet, perhaps the servant would have something to say to give Arthur hope.

“Are you alright, Merlin?” Arthur asked. “You’re more silent than usual. Is that because of the dragon?”

“No.” So his mood was just as bad as Arthur’s. So much for a motivating speech.

“Come on. I know we have almost no chance of winning, but we can’t give up now.”

The servant seemed hesitating. Like he was trying to make an impossible choice. He finally sighed. “All hope is not lost yet.”

Arthur did not understand. “I’d say most of it died with the last dragonlord, but you’re right, we’re still alive, so why are you so dour?”

He breathed deeply. “Arthur, how much do you know about Balinor’s story?”

“He escaped, I believe? Didn’t he directly go to the cave we found him in?”

“No. During the Purge, your father called him. He told him he wanted to make peace with the dragons. Or at least the last of them. He asked Balinor to call the Great Dragon to Camelot for this. To make peace, he said.”

“What happened then?”

“Your father trapped the Great Dragon under the castle. He then turned against Balinor and captured him to execute him along with the other dragonlords. Balinor escaped, and left Camelot. He went to a village in another kingdom, and started a new life there, with a woman he had met. But your father couldn’t let him live in peace. He sent his men to the village to hunt him like an animal, and Balinor left so that they would not endanger the woman or the village.” Merlin’s voice sounded a bit bitter, and yet it was like he couldn’t stop himself from talking. For once, Arthur felt he had to listen.

Arthur didn’t know what to do of his father’s actions. The betrayal felt wrong, especially under the pretence of peace. Hunting a man in another kingdom seemed excessive, but he supposed his father would not let anyone with enough power and a big enough grudge live. He still felt a bit ill at ease. “What is your point?” he asked to mask his unease.

“You’ll see. What do you know of the dragonlords in general?” the younger man retorted.

“Next to nothing. Merlin, what are you talking about now?”

“There is something important about them. You see, there’s a reason they are called ‘lords’. The power of a dragonlord is passed from father to son upon the death of the father.”

“Do you think there are dragonlord children out there?”

“No. The children of the dragonlords were executed as potential sorcerers. Probably drowned in a well.”

The image sent shivers down Arthur’s spine. Betraying peace negotiations, drowning children, hunting men to the end of the world. The list of distasteful actions was growing. “What then?”

“I told you. Balinor fell in love with a woman when he escaped.”

Arthur understood his point immediately. “So if they had a son, maybe he would be a dragonlord! We must find this woman. Do you know where he went? Actually, how do you know all this?”

“Gaius told me some when we left, and Balinor confirmed and completed the story.”

“Gaius?”

Merlin made a small impish smile. “He might have helped Balinor escape. Be glad, it means there is still a dragonlord to help us.”

Arthur noted the present tense in Merlin’s sentence. “So it’s true then. Balinor has a son. He didn’t tell us.”

“He didn’t know. When he left for the caves, neither him nor his… wife knew she was with child. Now he must be around our age.” Surprisingly, Merlin squirmed. What was the matter with him?

“We must find him. We have to talk to Gaius.” Arthur was right: speaking with Merlin was perfect to find hope again.

Yet Merlin seemed to have other ideas. “Arthur. Did you hear the story I just told?”

“What?”

“Your father. He didn’t hesitate to drown dragonlord children, he turned against Balinor as soon as he wasn’t useful anymore, even chased him in another kingdom. What do you think will happen to the new dragonlord?”

Anger rose in Arthur’s veins. “Watch it. You’re talking about my father. About your _king_.”

“And you know I’m right. It happened in the past.”

Usually, Arthur would have answered with even more stubborn anger, but something in Merlin’s eyes made him stop. The man looked sad. “There is something you’re not telling me. Do you know who this dragonlord is?”

Merlin sighed. “Yes.”

“Very well, then where is he?”

“In Camelot.”

“There’s a sorcerer in Camelot?”

“A young man who has been a dragonlord for less than a day now. And he’s loyal, to the kingdom and to you.”

“One of my knights then?” Arthur was puzzled. How could a knight be the son of Balinor? They were all from noble houses, and he knew their fathers.

“No.”

Arthur had the firm impression that Merlin had cut himself before telling something he didn’t want to tell.

“Then who?” he tried. Couldn’t Merlin understand that they needed to find this person?

“I can’t tell.”

“Fine. But you’re telling me before we reach Camelot.” Perhaps if Arthur gave the man some space, he would finally reveal what he knew.

They stayed in silence for a while. Arthur let his mind wander. A dragonlord, loyal to the kingdom, in Camelot. Who could that be? He tried to think of all the young men of the citadel. The Purge had started after his own birth, so the man had to be younger than him. He listed the servants in his head. Kitchen assistants, stable hands, manservants of all sorts. Perhaps one of them had told Merlin something which had let the raven-haired boy identify him as Balinor’s son? Or perhaps it was someone from the lower town.

After some time, he heard Merlin’s voice. “Arthur?”

“Yes?” he snapped, still angry with his servant’s decision to not tell him everything he knew.

“Do you trust me?”

“Merlin,” Arthur began in a mock-serious voice. “You’re a clumsy fool, we both know that. If I decided to trust you, I would be putting myself at risk of facing the disasters you cause with your clumsiness and your foolishness, don’t you think?”

“I’m serious,” Merlin replied. Indeed, the tone was not like their usual banter.

He looked Merlin in the eyes. “I trust you with my life. I thought you knew that. Don’t you trust me too?”

“This is about the dragonlord.”

“He’s a friend of yours, isn’t he?”

“If I tell you, what will you do? You can’t let your father execute him when he’s served his purpose. I know you’re a man of honour, Arthur. You can’t let this happen.”

Arthur didn’t know what to tell him. “Maybe I can make sure he leaves Camelot discreetly.”

That was the wrong thing to say. Merlin was incensed. “What?” he almost yelled, indignant. “Arthur! You can’t just banish him like that! What if his whole life is in Camelot?”

“Merlin, you are asking me to lie to the king.”

“Oh, from my point of view, I’m asking you to spare my life for the crimes of being born and saving Camelot. But you’re right, I’m a servant and you’re a prince, so of course it is more important that you don’t lie to the man who would burn me alive for who I am!” he snapped and then cut himself, opening wide eyes as if he hadn’t realised what he was saying.

Arthur wasn’t sure he had understood what Merlin was implying. Dread filled his stomach and he asked: “Merlin, what–”

“The village Balinor went to. It’s Ealdor. The woman he met was the one Gaius directed him to. Gaius’ sister. My mother.” Merlin turned his gaze to Arthur. “Balinor was my father. And I’m the last dragonlord.”

Arthur didn’t know what to say. He tried to find something that would prove this was a joke, that it wasn’t true, that it couldn’t be Merlin, that he had gotten it wrong. “I… thought you didn’t know your father?”

“Gaius told me just before we left,” Merlin said. He turned his head, averting his gaze. “That’s why I was acting so strange.” After a silence, he finished: “That’s why I’m acting strange now.”

“Because you were going to meet your father?”

“That’s part of it. Then there was a dragon destroying Camelot, and I was worried. And Gaius and my mother had never told me anything about my father, and I had a right to know. And I didn’t know what kind of man my father would be. And now… now…”

Tears started to pool in Merlin’s eyes. Arthur realised that he had only seen Balinor as a man who would have helped them but was now dead. But Merlin had found the father he had never met, only for him to die protecting him mere hours later. He pulled his friend into a hug. “It’s alright, Merlin. It’s alright.”

Merlin sobbed silently on his shoulder for a while. For all the times he had called Merlin a girl, Arthur had always thought highly of his friend’s sincerity with his emotions. Unlike him, Arthur could not afford to display his emotions openly. He sometimes wanted to, but then his education was stronger and he found himself unable to express what he felt.

When Merlin seemed to calm down, Arthur grasped his shoulder. “So, a dragonlord, huh?”

Merlin gave him a weak smile. “What are you going to do about it?”

“I’m not turning you in to be executed, Merlin, if that’s what’s on your mind.” Arthur couldn’t resist making fun of his servant. “However, I might have to banish you from Camelot.”

Merlin was horrified at the thought. “What? No! Please, please, Arthur, don’t… You can’t…”

“That’s a joke, Merlin.”

The man seemed reassured, but not completely. “And… your father?”

“You really think he would punish you?”

“Arthur, by the law of Camelot, I’m a dangerous criminal and a traitor just because I’m from Balinor’s family. Ridding the kingdom of the Great Dragon won’t be enough to gain the king’s trust. I’m not sure I’d be executed, but I could very well be banished. There’s no way I can stay at your service if I’m banished, and I won’t leave your side.” He chuckled a bit. “You’d have to find another manservant, and I’m not sure there’s anyone in the Five Kingdoms who would put up with you for more than a few months. I was told the precedent record was four.”

Arthur shoved him a bit. “Shut up, Merlin. At least no one else has to put up with you.”

Merlin grinned at the comment.

“So you don’t want anyone else to find out your heritage.” Arthur finally said.

“Please. It’s better this way. I don’t want to be the first suspect every time something weird or magical happens in Camelot.”

“Then… As a friend, I suppose I can keep your secret.” Merlin’s grin grew wider. “How do you plan to fight the dragon? And what do we tell my father?”

Merlin took some time to think. He looked at Arthur with a more serious face. “You don’t have to lie to your father. Tell him we found Balinor, which is true. But he didn’t come to Camelot with you, which is also true. And tell him the dragonlord said he would stop the dragon alone.”

“Ever heard of the concept of lies of omission?”

“Would you rather tell a full lie or just forget to mention some of the truth?”

“I see your point.” Arthur chuckled. “It’s like you’ve been doing this all your life.”

“I’ve covered for you when you were with Sophia, remember?” Merlin said, a hint of unease in his face.

Arthur huffed a laugh at the memory. “Yes. And you did it so poorly that you ended up in the stocks.”

“Well, not really. The king never suspected anything, did he?”

“You mean you deflected his suspicions by being terrible at lying?”

Merlin’s grin returned, even wider this time. “Maybe?”

“You’re much more clever than I thought!”

“Is this a compliment? Wow, did you fall on your head? A sorcerer enchanted you?”

“Shut up, Merlin.”

The conversation ended after that, and they both tried to get some sleep. Arthur could hear Merlin tossing and turning in his bed. He could understand why: he had just admitted to being legally a traitor to Arthur, and he still had his head attached to his shoulders. Arthur himself couldn’t help but feel giddy with hope. They had a dragonlord, in the end! And one who was fiercely loyal to Camelot.

But amidst the hope and joy, he could still feel dread, tiny but unmistakable. Merlin was a dragonlord. Merlin was a dragonlord, and he couldn’t completely wrap his head around the concept. What could it possibly mean? How could Merlin, his friend Merlin, his manservant, be a dragonlord? He had no training. He had never seen a dragon before. What if he failed at a crucial moment? What if there was a mistake, and Merlin didn’t have Balinor’s power after all? What if the Great Dragon killed him? Merlin was afraid of everything; he was no fighter. Could he really face the dragon? To put an end to these particular thoughts, Arthur decided that he’d trust Merlin on this one. He didn’t have a choice, after all.

But under the noise of his apprehension, there was something else. The thought appeared clearly in his mind. The power of the dragonlords… That was magic. Wasn’t it? It had to be.

Which meant…

Would Merlin be corrupted by his heritage? Would he turn against everything Arthur stood for? Against Camelot?

Arthur didn’t know how to take it. He didn’t think Merlin could become evil, or maybe he just didn’t want to believe it. If Merlin had just obtained his powers, how long before he let it turn him evil? Would it even happen to him? If he had no occasion to use it afterward, would it still…

Arthur couldn’t fall asleep, with such thoughts in his mind. He tried his hardest to find a solution, a way to protect Merlin and stop him from being corrupted. In the end, he realised his only option was to watch Merlin for signs of corruption. And hope he’d never find any.

He tried to relax himself to sleep. Hopefully, he wouldn’t face this problem before years.

As he was falling asleep, Arthur's already foggy mind remembered something he said in this evening's conversation. It was the first time he admitted to Merlin that they were friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Something I wrote some time ago, then remembered and changed a bit (so it may be not very good but I'll leave it anyway). It started with some angst and finished with lots of fluff, and then at the last minute I went and ruined my sweet fluffy ending with some unaddressed angst from Arthur, because I'm not a nice person. Sorry.  
> (hopefully the last sentence saves it though)  
> (if the mood whiplash isn't too strong)
> 
> I've always thought Merlin could've told Arthur about Balinor. Of all his secrets, it was one of the safest to reveal, given the circumstances. I'm certain Arthur would've been reasonable. The main problem was Uther, not Arthur.


End file.
